Only Heaven
by amyjohnwrites
Summary: "The only heaven I'll be sent to is when I'm alone with you." She was perceived to be innocent, naive and an overall uncommon "good girl." But only with him, was she truly her. He who made her feel comfortable, happy and loved. He who slowly turned her world around and then rocked it ten times over. He who fell in love with her and he who she was incomplete without.
1. Chapter 1: New York

_AN: Hello Everyone, this is a short authors note. But I'm back! (Hiatus explanation in bio) I hope you all like this story. Formerly EternalEquality._

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE: NEW YORK**

The sound of police cars and traffic rang through the extremely spacious penthouse apartment. The floor to ceiling, one way windows provided a vast view of the New York skyline in all its post-midnight glory. Tall buildings with lighted windows looking like the sky with all its stars twinkling on a clear night acting true to the "City That Never Sleeps."

New Yorkers everywhere were either sat at a bar, worked overtime or slept. The city was well awake - much like the two occupants of the large monochrome bedroom.

The layout of the room was simple and sharp; the walls were painted a pristine white, two double doors lined the right side of the room, one leading to a bathroom, the other leading to a closet, the left side of the room had a set of French doors showcasing the extravagant view of New York City, sat by the doors was a simple black desk with a Mac and a battered textbook, the centre wall had black and white pictures of the city in classy black frames and a black bed leaned against the wall like a shadowed figure in an alley guarded by two matching nightstands.

Ebony sheets were crinkled at the bottom of the large bed, white and black pillows were scattered on the dark wooden floor and the smell of sex radiated from the centre of the room.

Two figures, stark naked, slick in sweat and bodies trembling with passion lay in the middle of the bed, fingers entwined above the woman at the bottom's head lovingly, her right leg tightly wrapped around the man on top's back side as he thrust into her.

His hair was messy and sticking out from all directions as he allowed his blue eyes to bore into her brown ones, whispering her name in chants as she let out gasps of his name in return. With their arms above them, the delicious friction created by their bodies created a physical and emotional heat between them as the bed shook from their love making.

And just as the clock struck 2:00am the woman released her lover's hands to lovingly embrace him as they climaxed into each other's arms, their satisfied grunts and moans adding to the background noise of the City.

The man lightly lay on the woman, burying his head affectionately into her loose waves, smiling into her neck.

"You okay, Brie?" he casually murmured into her hair, nuzzling into her neck. The woman, Gabriella, or as he called her, Brie, smiled and sighed contently.

"Yeah..." she whispered, allowing her right hand to come up and playfully rustle his hair, "Troy?"

"Hmm?"

She laughed at his obvious tiredness as she felt his body feel heavier on top of hers, "Baby, you're heavy," she giggled. A small chuckle escaped his, Troy's, lips before he flipped them over so she lay on top of him.

"Problem solved," he said proudly, wrapping an arm around her slim waist and kicking the comforter over them using his legs.

\/\/\/\

Gabriella smiled into jaw line and placed a kiss there, allowing herself to be sandwiched between her lover and his warm comforter on that cold New York night.

The sky cried all over New York on a not-so-rare rain filled morning. The pit pat of water droplets teamed tightly with the grey skies created an overall negative atmosphere which reflected the mood of the city's residents, in particular, the students of New York University.

There was no wallpaper in the room, instead books stood, binder to binder, new and old, together on the old bookshelves. A peaceful quiet was echoing off the walls and the only sounds to heard were the rustling of papers and the scribbling of pens by the students.

Gabriella Montez sat at a table in the corner, her hair in a messy bun and dressed in an over sized tshirt which swallowed her frame and straight cut jeans tucked into plain black boots splattered with rain. She sat with two books open, one a Law textbook, the other, a Bible studies book, one was being read for her sake, the other being read for the sake of her parents.

Growing up to strictly Christian parents made it increasingly difficult for her to free herself, even at the age of twenty, she found herself restricted by the rules of her parents due to what she, and they, considered honour and respect.

No skin was allowed to be shown below the knee, her boobs must never be on show, no clothes were allowed to fit like a second skin and no high heels.

If it weren't for the fact that her parents weren't particularly rich when she was younger, Gabriella was sure she would've gone to an all-girls Catholic school. It was when she was sixteen that her parents acquired wealth, but by then, she had been able to fight for her right to stay at her high school.

"Bible studies?" she heard a bored voice say, "Again?"

Gabriella lifted her head to observe the blond next to her. Ryan was a petite psychology student and Gabriella's only close male friend that her parents knew and approved of. He was quiet to the outsider, and loud to the insider. His shag of blond hair giving him an innocent look that not many twenty year olds possessed and his grey eyes allowing the elders to see the youth in him.

Mrs Maria Montez had once seen that Ryan attended church with his sister and she had claimed he was a "fine, young man" who provided a "breath of air to society."

Gabriella smiled at her friend, "My mom wants me to be more involved with the Church, so she's suggested I do monthly classes to kids."

Ryan's naturally thin eyebrows rose, "Fun..." he muttered sarcastically, pulling her Law book closer to him and allowing a small laugh to escape his lips, "And this is even more fun..." he said, before pushing it back in her direction.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, capping her pen and turning her body to give her full attention to him, "Why are you bothering me?" she asked kindly.

"Live a little, Gab," he said, playing with the collar of his designer polo shirt , "Let's go get coffee!"

"So much for living," she teased, poking the air in front of him before beginning to pack up her textbooks.

She had learnt when she started NYU that declining Ryan Evan's company whilst he drank his usual coffee and ate his usual muffin was like denying a grandmother her set of teeth, annoying and filled with silent treatment.

"Let's go," she beckoned, walking ahead out of the library as he followed like a giddy child.

\/\/\/\

"Urgh..." Ryan moaned as he bit into his triple chocolate muffin, "This gives the most intense foodgasm ever!"

Gabriella nodded, pulling at the buttons on her woollen cardigan, "I'm sure it does."

"Not that you'd know, Mary," Ryan playfully responded, referring to the Virgin Mary, a common joke between the two friends.

"Ha ha."

Ryan laughed at the girl opposite in him, although his insides felt bad, he always did, he felt bad for her. It was one thing if he knew Gabriella was a hundred and ten percent happy with her lifestyle, but he knew she felt incomplete, she'd never said it, but he could read her well, after all, he was a psychology student.

"I know. I'm hilarious!"

Gabriella smiled widely at her friend, showing her perfectly teeth that lit up any room when she beamed, and watched as he continued to eat his muffin. Her fingers circle the edge of her cup, which was half filled with tea and her eyes wandered around the comfortable shop they sat in. In one corner sat a couple snuggling together, sharing a slice of carrot cake, next to the counter sat three students doing, what she presumed was, revision and on the table closest to her sat two men in business suits. One had a salt and pepper hairdo with his back to her, and the man opposite him sat with dark brown hair styled into a clean side part, and although his body faced the man opposite him, his eyes were focused on her as a small smile played on his lips.

Troy.

Her own eyes widened at the sight of him and she watched as his small smile turned into a smirk at her shock.

"Gab, are you listening?"

Gabriella's head subtle shot to her friend who had finished devouring his muffin and was now peacefully drinking his coffee.

"I'm sorry, no, I just zoned out," she blurted out and watched as his eyebrows shot up, "thinking about my Sunday class is all."

Ryan bought it, it was a usual response and from Gabriella's mouth, not odd at all.

"Fun!" Ryan said, gulping down the last of his coffee, slamming the cup down and throwing his muffin wrapper into the cup.

Gabriella sipped her tea slowly, "That's beginning to become a very common response from you..."

Ryan shrugged and stood up, brushing his jeans of any lint and shuffling his immaculate loafers around on the wooden floor, "Let's go. You done?"

Gabriella shot Troy a look, only to find him engaging in a discussion with the suited man opposite him, "Um, actually I think I'll stay and finish my tea, maybe even get a muffin and go over some notes," she nodded towards her tea and then her bag before looking up at Ryan who was walking backwards towards the door.

"Suit yourself, I'll see you later," he smiled and walked out, jogging across the street quickly whilst the green man lasted at the traffic lights.

Looking back to Troy she found him standing up, flashing a charming smile at the older man as he shook his hand, she listened carefully as thanked the man and bade him goodbye, watching as other man left the shop, but Troy, himself, not leaving. Instead he packed his papers into his bag and moved to sit at the table right next to Gabriella, setting his elbow on the wood, and letting his chin lean on his hand, staring into her eyes softly, "Hi, Baby."

She smiled at him, "Hi," she whispered back, "Didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon with all of your meetings and such."

Troy smiled back, "Yeah, well, I decided to take the old men out of the building. Clearly they don't get out much."

Gabriella laughed and took in his formal attire before noticing his converse and raising her eyebrows, "Converse?"

"Comfortable. He didn't realise, my smile was too distracting."

"Right..." she said before standing up and collecting her things, smiling sadly she turned to directly faced him, "I should get..." she trailed off and used her thumb to point in the direction of the door, "Someone might..." she didn't get to finish as he discreetly stroked her thigh.

"Alright. I'll see you on... Friday."

She nodded and began walking backwards towards the door just as he friend had done not too long before, "Three days," she whispered, more to herself than him, before turning around to leave.

As she opened the shop's door, she turned to find him longingly staring after her.

"Just three," she whispered again, nodding in goodbye before stepping out into the cold streets of New York.

* * *

AN: These bottom AN's are dedicated to my readers. Thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you thoroughly enjoyed it and wish for more. Please review, even if it's with one word. I love all my readers, feel free to PM me. OH AND PLEASE SHARE MY STORY! xxx Amy


	2. Chapter 2: Tomorrow

_AN: Sorry it's so late. Much love._

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 **CHAPTER 2: TOMORROW**

Gabriella was ambitious, to put it simply. She was driven by ambition, motivated by ambition, pulled back and pushed forward by ambition. Some may even say she lived for it - hence why she walked into New York University at the age of eighteen with her held high and her heart pounding quietly with an ambition to become a lawyer by succeeding in economics before she had any further inclination of pursuing law school.  
But it was Gabriella Montez's ambitious dream of becoming a lawyer that drove her to read prestigious law books, alongside her economics textbooks, for "fun." It drove her further towards her worldly goals and further away from the Manhattan home of her parents.  
However, the sentiment she had towards her childhood didn't allow her to drive far, this posed as a reason as to why, at the age of adulthood, she made the life defining choice to not leave New York.  
Two and a half, give or take a few months, sitting on a bed alone, surrounded by three text books, Gabriella sat cross legged, a fountain pen in her right hand and her cell phone in the other.  
"No, Taylor."  
A sigh passed through her lips as she released the pen from her hand and switched the phone so it rested within her right palm.  
"Yes, Taylor."  
A rolling of her wondrous brown eyes followed.  
"Taylor, I didn't-"  
Had anyone been in the room, they would have found it obvious that Gabriella was frustrated, and it was also clear that she wasn't trying to hide it.  
"Taylor, listen. You need to relax. I am fine. Whatever you heard from my mother was absolute nonsense. I am not over working myself, nor am I... How did she put it, again? Oh, yes... Nor am I 'driving myself downhill to depression.' I am great, really. Other than the fact that my mother's nagging me over my Sunday schedules, I do not feel pressured or stressed at all."

There was a long pause before the person on the other end of the line spoke.

 _"Honey, I think I need to be concerned if you're a third year economics student and aren't feeling stressed,"_ Taylor remarked, laughing slightly.  
Gabriella smiled, not acknowledging the fact that her friend couldn't see her.

"Nothing that's over bearing, I swear," she responded, "I'm very happy."

 _"Now that sounds like the phrase of a woman who's found a man!"_ Taylor exclaimed _, "Ooh, girl, who is it?"_

Gabriella bit her lip nervously, it was times like these that she appreciated the comfort of having a roommate who only stayed in the room when necessary, for example, hours of sleep between one and nine in the morning.

"There's no man, don't be ridiculous, Taylor. There will never be a man."

The way in which she spoke her words had no spite towards the idea and instead, it made it sound as if she liked the idea under certain circumstances.  
It was a facade she had taken years to build so that she could hide behind: The good little Christian girl who never dated outside of those whom her parents approved of. The only "man in her life" other than those of blood relations and close family friends, would be the man who went to church, had the same upbringing as her and the same attitudes as her parents, who would be devoted to God and who would act as her superior and nothing less.  
And she was supposed to want that.  
In her eyes, there was nothing wrong with a God-loving man who fiercely stuck by the book. But it was the other expectations, people, such as her parents, would expect in a husband for their only daughter.  
The superiority they would gain.  
The strict regime.  
The lack of freedom.  
The lack of ambition.

The lack of the life _she_ wanted.

The life _her parents_ wanted.

" _I know, girl. I admire your ability to say true to yourself in a city filled with fine, fine men. Damn..."_ Taylor breathed out, letting her words stay in the air.

Gabriella giggled ever so slightly, easing the tension she knew was building in the mind of her loyal friend. "God has saved me, I guess," She responded lightly, "I don't even myself attracted to the men, they act like pigs a lot of the time."

" _I know what you mean, it's like they've never seen the opposite sex before!"_

The laughed together quietly before the silence settled.

Moments passed before either spoke again.

" _So, you're happy, Gabi?_

It was in this moment that Gabriella thought the Troy. The same Troy whose bed she'd been in on Monday night, the same Troy who she had painfully seen publicly the next day, on Tuesday, at a coffee shop and the same Troy who she was going to see tomorrow night - Her happiness.

"Yeah, Taylor. I am." She giggled for a second, "You worry too much."

Taylor sighed on the other end of the line, "Oh, the curse of being maternal (!)"

The two childhood friends laughed together, a reminder to the brunette sitting in Manhattan that some people would always be by your side.

\/\/\/\

"Mr Bolton, you have a call on line 2 from Mr Danforth?"

"I'll take it, Kelsi, thank you."

At the age of twenty five, Troy Bolton didn't expect that he'd be making thousands of dollars a day in the world of business on Wall Street, but there he was, in his own desk in his own private office and was one of the youngest people of his job.

He had a secretary, his own team, he was living in a penthouse and his parents were proud of him to no end.

Troy Bolton would even go as far as to say his life was nearly perfect. Nearly.

His relationship with his lover, a communications student four years younger than him, was an undisclosed fact that he enjoyed keeping to himself. He enjoyed keeping _her_ to himself.

Although his life wasn't perfect, she was.

He remembered the way that she laid beneath him three nights prior, breathing his name and dependently holding onto him as she unravelled in their post coitus bliss. He remembered how she'd followed him into his bathroom, tiptoeing in his work shirt and her bright blue socks, and wrapped her arms around him from behind, affectionately burying her head into his back as he brushed his teeth with his right hand and caressed her hands with his left.

Snapping out of his memory, Troy looked down to his phone and rolled his eyes, casually picking it up with a "What, Chad?"

" _Someone's in a bad mood,"_ Chad responded from the other end of the line.

"Chad, c'mon..." Troy warned,

" _Chill, man. Bad day, I get it. You wanna talk about it_?" the voice offered friendlily, a humorous tone to his voice.

Troy relaxed back in his chair and crossed his right ankle over his left leg, "No."

Chad chuckled heartily, _"Oh, jeez. The stick called Wall Street is so up your ass today."_

"Chad, what do you want? I have to meet up with someone in ten minutes."

Chad made an excited sound on the other end of the telephone line, _"Ooh, someone. Business person?"_

"No."

 _"Potential business person?"_

"Nope."

Chad gasped, _"Romantic interest?"_

"What the fuck? No, man." Troy murmured, running through his free hand through his hair that usually got messier as each hour passed.

Chad sigh exasperated, _"Then who?"_ He asked childishly, and Troy could imagine him stomping his foot to the ground like he did when they were children and Chad wanted ice cream.

"My mother!"

 _"Oh."_

Troy and Chad had known each other since birth. Their fathers were friends, their mothers were friends, so naturally, growing up, they had to get along or die trying. Luckily for the Danforths and the Boltons, Chad and Troy clicked the moment they acknowledged each other's existence.

"Why did you call, Chad?" Troy asked, looking at the expensive he had taken off earlier and laid on his desk.

 _"Umm... I can't even remember..."_ Chad muttered, " _Wait! Dinner, tomorrow, that's why I called. You down for it?"_

Troy, sick of his friend, rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sure, what-" he paused. Gabriella. "No, man, I just remembered I have some really important things to do tomorrow night. Oh, look, my mom's calling my cell now, I have to go, I'll see you soon and yes, I'll tell mom you said hi. Bye Chad." Chucking the phone stressfully back, he leaned into his comfortable chair and swore to the heavens above. And he still had lunch with his mother to attend to.

Grabbing his black suit jacket from the back of his chair, Troy stood and left his office, loosening his grey tie in the process.

"Kelsi, I'm off for lunch with my mother. Just take a message from anyone who calls. And," he paused to look at his watch. One in the afternoon. "I expect you out of the office by the time I come back, you came in early today."

Kelsi, his secretary, smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Mr Bolton, I'll be sure to do so. Enjoy your lunch."

Troy looked at the tiny woman, a smile gracing his lips, "Will do," he nodded before exiting the office and stepping out onto the infamous Wall Street.

He walked like a man on a mission to the small cafe his mother had recommended earlier, which was a bit further out than he was used to, but he didn't mind the walk, it was a refreshing break from being in an office or a meeting room all the time.

The cafe was a corner shop twenty minutes away from his office and was relatively empty and he spotted a dark head of hair framing a long, kind-looking face.

A childish look on his face appeared at the site of his mother and he approached her with a "Hey Momma" and a gentle peck to the cheek.

Lucille Bolton gasped as her son swiftly greeted her and sat in the empty space in front of her where she had been staring previously, awaiting his coming.

"Troy!" she exclaimed quietly, but gleefully, before her lips turned into a mock frown, "Look at you, nearly giving your old mother a heart attack!"

Troy smiled opposite her and rolled his eyes, "You're hardly old, Mom."

"Hardly," Lucille scoffed.

"Hardly," Troy emphasised, cheekily winking.

Lucille grabbed a menu from the stand in between the two and lightly tapped his head with it, "I think you need some food to tone down that cheekiness, son."

Grinning he took the menu from his mother, "I think so too. I'm starved."

Lucille looked up from her own menu, "I hope not..." she said seriously, raising a single eyebrow at her only son.

"Mother..." Troy warned, "Not today..."

"Sweetie, I'm worried, how can you expect me not to be. You're single, living alone and making more money than most people your age and you're still a... What's the phrase your father used...? Oh, a _loner._ "

Troy's eyebrows rose slightly amused as he watched his mother eye him carefully, "Mom... I'm fine. I'm not a loner, in fact, Chad and I are hanging out this weekend," he lied. Troy _hated_ lying to his mother, but it had to be done. For her sake.

"Chad?" Lucille chuckled, "Troy, Chad doesn't count. I meant _new_ friends and maybe a lady friend?"

"He says hi, by the way. I don't want new friends. I don't trust anyone. And lady friend? Seriously? I'm not five." Troy responded, trying not to let his mother's concerns get to him, and beckoned over a waiter, saying his order. "I'll have the chicken and pesto tagliatelle, Mom?"

"The wild mushroom risotto sounds nice..."

"Excellent, we'll have one of those. Two fresh orange juices too please."

There was only three other people in the homely Italian cafe. Two muscled teenage boys in the corner eating enormous amounts of cake and every now and then Troy heard the phrase "its cheat day today" coming from them, and an elderly woman who sat on a stool near the counter sipping a warm drink. The atmosphere was comfortable and quiet.

The mother and son duo sat at their table, individually polishing their plates of any food and clearing their glasses of any drink.

"Dessert?" Lucille offered once the waiter approached to collect their plates.

Troy, who had been admiring the comfortable decor of the cafe, snapped out of his thoughts, and looked to his mother with a relaxed stare, "Uh, you choose."

Lucille smiled gleefully, "Two caramel panna cottas please with a side of biscotti."

The waiter, who couldn't have been older than seventeen, nodded and walked off with their dirty plates and dessert order.

"Salted caramel?" Troy said, his bottom lip jutted out slightly, childishly.

"It's always good to try new things, Troy. Chocolate cake will always be waiting, but," Lucille looked down at her menu to reassure herself that she was indeed naming the dish correctly, "Panna cotta will disappear one day."

Troy rolled his eyes playfully, and just as he was about to respond, his phone buzzed next to him on the table, signalling a text.

 _"Tomorrow._ " It read.

He didn't need to see the contact name to know who it was from.

* * *

 _AN: Special thanks to Chri5tin3 for her review which made me so happy and in times where I lacked motivation, motivated me. Also, pumkinking5, I hope this clears everything up. :) Thanks to everyone for their reviews and please continue to do so. Love love love, Amy._


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